City of London Girls - Computer Tests

[Soppy]

Did anyone have the computer test at City of London Girls ? My DD said that it was not too difficult - that's always a worry..........

Or has anyone experienced it in previous years ?

[T.i.p.s.y]

I'm not sure if most of these computerised tests now follow the same format but for what it's worth DS said he found it easy and got a place. Other boys who said - quote "it was the hardest thing I've ever done", didn't. So I'm sure your DD has done well.

I understand why they do these tests but I do not like them. My other son, who is proving to be brighter in a number of areas than DS1 would flounder on this type of test as he buckles under pressure and the 10 second time limit before moving onto the next question would throw him and send him into a panic

[hopeful5]

they didnt have the computer test last year. Just English and Maths and interview.
This must be the first year they have done it.

[Sue123]

This is definitely a new thing and I wonder whether it is a precursor to an even bigger change. I understand that last year CLSG had an army of girls applying, so that the standard to get in was higher than ever before.
I heard speculation from other parents that perhaps CLSG might leave the North London Consortium alltogether and set their own, even tougher, exam so that it would make it easier for them to select the really outstanding candidates and reduce the number of interviews.
I note with interest that they are banding together with St. Paul's Girls on the computerized tests and I think that it is not inconceivable that they might form a new mini-consortium consisting of themselves and St. Paul's, which I am sure has equally high standards.
I would like to emphasize that this is all just speculation on my part but I do wonder....
Has anyone else had any thoughts along these lines or heard anything?
(Mercifully, we went through this process last year and are now very happily settled at a good North London girls' school. Good luck to everyone this year, though!)

[KenR]

A number of Independent schools have switched to the Univ of Durham Digital Entrance tests see :-

http://www.cemcentre.org/RenderPage.asp?LinkID=31710000

Schools using these tests include Eton, Bedford and Marlborough

[Daogroupie]

My dd sat the three hour computer test at St Paul's this week. We did not realise that this was the first year it had been used. She is used to leaving questions and comiing back to them in the 100 questions in 45 mins environment, so she found it quite strange that she could not go back to questions once she had clicked next. We have also applied to City of London and were told we had to sit the test at St Pauls because their test was a super set of the one at City of London, so St Pauls would not be able to get the data they needed if we sat it at City. The City test was one test of 90 minutes whereas St Paul's was two tests totalling three hours. We can't see any information on where this computer test fits in. Will they not mark the papers of children who do badly in the tests in the same way that DAO does not mark the English and Maths papers of those who do not score highly in the VR?

[T.i.p.s.y]

Three hours, even with a break seems too intensive. Kids during school aren't used to spending that amount of concentrated time staring at a computer screen and I don't see why it is necessary when the others are usually around 45 minutes.

Hope your daughter got on well at St Paul's.

[Ellie]

My DD is a current year 7 at CLSG and the whole year took the new computerised test in the second week of term (to test it out). The test was relatively straightforward, but most girls did not answer all the questions correctly.

I understand that the new test will form part of the overall admission process and the result will be considered in conjunction with the January exam, which comprises English and Maths.

The computerised component of the St Paul's exam is exactly the same as CLSG, however additional papers in English and Maths are taken at St Pauls because they will not now be interviewing girls who do not attain the required standard in the exam. In previous years they interviewed all applicants before the exam.

CLSG is very good school, top notch teaching and the girls are very happy.

[T.i.p.s.y]

I heard from a very good source that the first group of boys who sat the Eton test were scored the worst in their exams than any year previous to that although they were the brighter cohort based on IQ. Since then they have taken the score as part of the entry but not solely.

[Daogroupie]

Thank you very much for this helpful information. I had no idea that St Paul's used to interview all applicants before the exam. This year there ae no interviews before the exam which is on Tuesday 12th Janaury and clashes with the St Albans High School for Girls Music Scholarship auditions. Did your dd apply for St Pauls last year? My dd loves City, we had a lovely girl take us round who turned out to be one of the scholars. And I just loved the Head. Is it really 50% state schools? I am sure that St Paul's must be mostly preps, there were lots of berets and capes last week and children who don't seem to own coats so apparently go everywhere by car. I would be happy to hear otherwise because we do like it.